In March, the Fondation de France, the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris and the Institut Pasteur joined forces to raise funds to support caregivers, research and help vulnerable people in the midst of a pandemic. Two and a half months later, the operation has raised more than 27 million euros. Update on the projects implemented.
- In the space of two months, the Fondation de France and its partners collected more than 27 million euros.
- These funds were mainly used to help healthcare staff, associations and support research.
On March 17, France entered confinement. A few days later, the Foundation of France, the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris and the Institut Pasteur have joined forces to raise funds to support caregivers, research and help vulnerable people in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Two and a half months later, the operation has raised more than 27 million euros. To date, more than 500 projects have been implemented throughout the national territory for an amount of nearly 19 million euros.
Help for nursing staff
“We are in contact with many university hospitals and are in the process of bringing up projects to help caregivers in terms of equipment and possibly the setting up of psychological cells”explained Frédéric Théret, director of development of the Fondation de France, at Pourquoi Docteur on March 28.
Two months later, 5.9 million euros have been committed to support caregivers. “From the first weeks, assistance for the purchase of medical equipment was put in place for many university hospitals and hospitals throughout France”, specifies the Foundation in a press release. With regard to psychological assistance, a resource and support unit has, for example, been set up at the Mulhouse hospital centre. To help caregivers in their daily lives, hundreds of meals have been delivered to hospitals every day thanks to the support provided to associations such as Ecotable Where Street food. At the AP-HP, rest areas for carers and reception areas for the families of patients have been set up.
Support for research projects
“Regarding research, we are in the process of selecting projects, in particular on the study of the evolution of the virus, on treatment responses, on the implementation of vaccines and more appropriate clinical protocols since we are gradually discovering and as this new disease”, explained Frédéric Théret to Why doctor two months ago. Today, 4.4 million euros have been committed to finance 8 priority research projects proposed by the Institut Pasteur and the AP-HP. The MacCov project (Inserm) for example aims to find a treatment to block the inflammation at the origin of acute respiratory distress syndrome in Covid patients. Research projects in the humanities and social sciences aimed at “to shed new light on the management of the epidemic, its consequences at the individual and collective, political and/or social levels…” were also helped.
Support for local associations who work with vulnerable people
“IThe country’s difficulties do not stop because of the coronavirusrecalled Frédéric Théret on March 28. The homeless are still on the street, the elderly, alone at home, remain so. We try to set up relays so that people have meals delivered, we had programs to help people with disabilities to get up…”. Today, the appeal for donations has made it possible to commit nine million euros to support the associations.
Concerning people in a very precarious state, the Fondation de France supports the Belle de Mai Fraternity, which organizes free weekly meals for the less fortunate in Marseille. In Sète, the Bons Samaritains entraide et solidaire set up five maraudes a week where volunteers provide hot meals, clothing and basic necessities to homeless people. In Strasbourg, the Bernanos Center provided computer equipment to young migrants so that they could follow lessons remotely during confinement.
For women victims of domestic violence, the Fondation de France, the Foundation RAJA-Danièle Marcovici and Women’s Foundation joined forces to help several associations to shelter the women concerned and their children throughout the territory. Emergency call services have been created, assistance alert applications developed and hosting capacities strengthened.
For children bereaved by Covid, the Histoire d’en parle device (Baobab association) allows pediatricians and psychologists to support young people who have lost a parent during the epidemic at the Toulouse University Hospital.
For people in psychological distress, donations have been used to support several structures, including the Vinatier hospital and the Francophone Association for Cognitive Remediation in Lyon which has set up a mobile psychiatry team which makes home visits to individuals most at risk.
Finally, for people with disabilities, the Association des paralysés de France de l’Isère et de la Drôme/Ardèche has created a platform to support nearly sixty individuals throughout the territory. A telephone center collects needs and coordinates interventions. These range from care and help with household chores to administrative and psychological support.
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